⚽ France – Key Euro stats ⚽
Appearances at the Euro: ten
European titles: 2
Best finish: Winners (1984, 2000)
Euro record: W21 D12 L10
Goals scored: 69
Biggest victory: 5-0 (against Belgium at Euro 1984)
Player to watch: Antoine Griezmann
World ranking: 2nd
Team nickname: The Blues (The Blues)
Group calendar:
- June 17: Austria vs France (Dusseldorf Arena, Düsseldorf, 9:00 p.m. local/7:00 p.m. GMT)
- June 21st: Netherlands vs. France (Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, 9:00 p.m. local/7:00 p.m. GMT)
- June 25: France vs Poland (BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 6:00 p.m. local/4:00 p.m. GMT)
How to follow our coverage of Euro 2024: UEFA Euro 2024 on Al Jazeera
Euro 2024 is the fifth consecutive major tournament in which France will enter as favorites.
They have reached the final at three of the last four World Cups and European Championships – and were one stop behind Emiliano Martinez from being back-to-back Qatar 2022 World Cup champions.
This astonishing level of consistency can be attributed to the seemingly inexhaustible pool of talent that the nation can draw from.
Take for example how the emergence of Mike Maignan and William Saliba offset the retirements of Hugo Lloris and Raphael Varane. Or how Aurélien Tchouameni perfectly filled the Paul Pogba-shaped hole in midfield.
Likewise, Marcus Thuram’s performances for Inter Milan this season have shown that he is ready to take over once Olivier Giroud retires. The uninterrupted supply chain of talent has extended to another French team on the cusp of their next major tournament at Euro 2024.
Culture is key
The team culture adopted by manager Didier Deschamps has added another dimension to their continued success.
Despite having global superstars at his disposal, his genius lies in how he gets them to put aside their egos when playing for the national team. The collective goes beyond the individual, and this is a principle to which Deschamps himself adhered.
The reinstatement of Adrien Rabiot and Karim Benzema – two players with whom the coach had fallen out in the past – before Euro 2020 demonstrated this. Benzema scored four goals in four games during the COVID-19 delayed tournament while Rabiot established himself as a key pillar of the French midfield.
Deschamps’ management style is the perfect blend of confidence and merit. The selection of N’Golo Kanté for Euro 2024 is the latest example.
The 33-year-old’s career has been plagued by injuries over the past two years – he last played for France in June 2022 and made just nine appearances for Chelsea in the 2022 season/ 2023. After joining Al Ittihad last summer, where he made 44 appearances, Deschamps believes Kanté can once again be an asset to his team.
“He has had a full season, but not in a European championship since he is playing in Saudi Arabia, where he has regained his full physical form,” Deschamps said when announcing his squad on the French channel TF1.
“And I think with his experience and his background, I am convinced that our team will be stronger with him.”
The addition of experience to the squad has been accompanied by an injection of youth, with Warren Zaire-Emery and 18-year-old Bradley Barcola both receiving call-ups.
Griezmann the glue guy
Superstar Kylian Mbappe is the obvious centerpiece of this France team – the 25-year-old topped the Blues’ goals (9) and assists (5) charts during their unbeaten Euro 2024 qualifying campaign .
However, as was the case in Qatar in 2022, the heart of the team remains veteran striker Antoine Griezmann.
The Atletico Madrid star has been a constant presence during Deschamps’ reign. His record 84 consecutive matches for France came to an end in March friendlies against Chile and Germany, which he missed due to injury.
Griezmann’s versatility makes him indispensable to Deschamps.
He came of age at Euro 2016 as a second striker, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot.
At Euro 2020, he often found himself playing on the left of a front three forward line to accommodate Mbappe and Benzema.
With France reeling from injuries at the 2022 World Cup, Deschamps has decided to deploy him in midfield. The experiment worked, with Griezmann notching the highest assist total in Qatar.
It’s a role he will reprise in Germany this summer, and at 33, it’s Griezmann’s last chance to win the trophy that eluded him during his storied career in France.
France’s recent appearances in the European Football Championship have been marked by heartbreak.
At Euro 2016, they lost the final in overtime to Portugal at home.
Just when they felt like they were hitting their stride at Euro 2020, they suffered a shock exit to Switzerland in the round of 16.
The 2018 World Cup victory does not do justice to the level of dominance France has shown over the past decade. This year’s Euros presents a golden opportunity for the Blues to seal their legacy as one of the best national teams in history.
⚽ The final French team for Euro 2024 ⚽
Captain: Kylian Mbappé
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (West Ham United), Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Brice Samba (Lens)
Defenders: Jonathan Clauss (Marseille), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), William Saliba (Arsenal), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid), Benjamin Pavard (Inter Milan), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich) ) )
Midfielder : N’Golo Kante (Al Ittihad), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Aurélien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain), Youssouf Fofana ( AS Monaco)
Advantages: Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Internazionale), Randal Kolo Muani (Paris Saint-Germain), Olivier Giroud (Los Angeles FC)
You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated website Euro 2024 tournament page with all the match preparation and live text commentary, and stay up to date with group ranking and in real time match results and schedules.
